Rulers

February 2012

2

Kuwait: In parliamentary elections, the opposition parties win 34 of the 50 seats. Turnout is about 60%. On February 5, Prime Minister Sheikh Jabir Mubarak Al Hamad Al Sabah resigns; on February 6 he is asked to form a new cabinet. On February 14, the new cabinet is announced with Sheikh Ahmad Khaled Al Hamad Al Sabah as defense minister, other key ministries remaining unchanged.
Russia: Sergey Bozhenov is confirmed by the local Duma (31-0) and sworn in as head of administration of Volgograd oblast.

3

Russia: Igor Orlov is confirmed by the local Assembly (54-2) and sworn in as governor of Arkhangelsk oblast.

Erjavec
Slovenia: Prime Minister-elect Janez Jansa announces his cabinet with Karl Erjavec as foreign minister, Ales Hojs as defense minister, Janez Sustersic as finance minister, and Vinko Gorenak as interior minister. On February 10 the cabinet is confirmed by parliament (50-10) and sworn in.

4

Nigeria: In gubernatorial elections in Adamawa, Murtala Nyako (People's Democratic Party) wins 46% of the vote, Markus Gundiri (Action Congress of Nigeria) 36.6%, and Buba Marwa (Congress for Progressive Change) 16.3%. Turnout is 37.2%. Nyako is sworn in on February 8.

5

China: Lu Xinshe is elected governor of Jiangxi.
Finland: In the presidential runoff, Sauli Niinistö wins 62.6% of the vote and Pekka Haavisto 37.4%. Turnout is 66%.
Mauritius: In parliamentary elections in Rodrigues, the Rodrigues People's Organization wins 11 of 21 seats, the Rodrigues Movement 8, and the Rodrigues Patriotic Front 2. Turnout is 81.2%. On February 11 Serge Clair is sworn in as chief commissioner.

6

Nigeria: Former foreign minister (1993) Matthew Mbu dies.
Romania: Prime Minister Emil Boc resigns. President Traian Basescu appoints Justice Minister Catalin Predoiu as interim prime minister, then nominates Mihai-Razvan Ungureanu as new prime minister. On February 8 Ungureanu names his cabinet with Bogdan Dragoi as finance minister and Gabriel Berca as interior minister, Foreign Minister Cristian Diaconescu and Defense Minister Gabriel Oprea to remain in place. On February 9 the parliament endorses the new government (237-2) and it is sworn in.

Chen
Taiwan: Premier Sean Chen and his cabinet are sworn in.

7

Congo (Kinshasa): The governor of Bandundu, Richard Ndambu Wolang, resigns.

Waheed
Maldives: President Mohamed Nasheed resigns. Vice President Mohamed Waheed Hassan is sworn in as president; on February 8 he appoints Mohamed Nazim as defense minister and Mohamed Jameel Ahmed as home affairs minister and on February 15 he nominates Mohamed Waheed Deen as new vice president.
Russia: President Dmitry Medvedev nominates Sergey Zhvachkin as governor of Tomsk oblast. On February 15 he is confirmed by the local Duma (32-7). He is to take office March 17.

8

Burundi: Tabu Abdallah Manirakiza is named finance minister.
Ecuador: Former foreign minister (1966, 1976-77) Jorge Salvador Lara dies.
Indonesia: Tarmizi Abdul Karim is sworn in as acting governor of Aceh as Governor Irwandi Yusuf's term ends.
Ukraine: President Viktor Yanukovych relieves Mykhailo Yezhel from his duties as defense minister and appoints Dmytro Salamatin in his place.

Soalaoi

9

Solomon Islands: Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo sacks Foreign Minister Peter Shanel Agovaka. On February 28 Clay Forau Soalaoi is sworn in as new foreign minister.

10

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Prime Minister Vjekoslav Bevanda's government is confirmed in parliament (26-7). It includes Zlatko Lagumdzija as foreign minister, Muhamed Ibrahimovic as defense minister, and Nikola Spiric as finance minister.

Nandigna
Guinea-Bissau: Carlos Gomes Júnior resigns as prime minister to be a presidential candidate. Adiato Djaló Nandigna becomes acting prime minister.

Ngafuan
Liberia: Foreign Minister Augustine Ngafuan and Finance Minister Amara Konneh take office after being confirmed by the Senate.

11

Italy: Former president of Emilia-Romagna (1970-76) Guido Fanti dies.
Nigeria: In gubernatorial elections in Bayelsa, Henry Seriake Dickson (People's Democratic Party) wins 90.8% of the vote and Imoro Kubor (Change Advocacy Party) 4.9%. Turnout is 74.7%. Dickson is sworn in on February 14.

12

Congo (Kinshasa): Former governor of Katanga (1998-2001) Augustin Katumba Mwanke dies in a plane crash.
Turkmenistan: In presidential elections, incumbent Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov wins 97.1% of the vote. Turnout is 96.3%.

13

China: Jiang Dingzhi is elected governor of Hainan.

Ndong

Issoze-Ngondet
Gabon: Prime Minister Paul Biyoghé Mba resigns. On February 27 President Ali Bongo Ondimba names Raymond Ndong Sima as new prime minister. On February 28 Ndong takes office and the new government is named including Emmanuel Issoze-Ngondet as foreign minister and Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda as budget minister, while Rufin Pacôme Ondzounga remains defense minister and Jean-François Ndongou interior minister.
Honduras: Finance Minister William Chong Wong resigns. On February 15 Héctor Guillén is sworn in as new finance minister.
Mexico: Former governor of Baja California Sur (1987-93) Víctor Manuel Liceaga Ruibal dies.
Norfolk Island: Neil Pope is appointed administrator, effective April 1.

14

Nicaragua: Iván Acosta is named finance minister.

15

China: Li Bin is elected governor of Anhui.
Mexico: Fausto Vallejo Figueroa takes office as governor of Michoacán.

16

Canada: Brig.Gen. (ret.) John James Grant is appointed lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia.
China: Li Jiheng is elected governor of Yunnan.
Solomon Islands: Sir Baddeley Devesi, former governor-general (1978-88) and foreign minister (1989-90, 1992), dies.
South Africa: Former premier of the Free State (1999-2004) Winkie Direko dies.

17

Germany: President Christian Wulff resigns. The president of the Bundesrat, Horst Seehofer, becomes acting president.

18

Grenada: Former prime minister (1995) George Brizan dies.
Nigeria: In gubernatorial elections in Sokoto, Aliyu Wamakko (People's Democratic Party) wins 75.7% of the vote and Yusha'u Ahmed Kebbe (All Nigeria People's Party) 19.1%. Turnout is 29.7%. Wamakko is sworn in on February 22.
Papua New Guinea: Former premier of East Sepik (1993-95) Alex Anisi dies.

19

Russia: Former chairman of the Council of Ministers (1983-88) and chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet (1988-90) of the Russian S.F.S.R. Vitaly Vorotnikov dies.

21


Hadi
Yemen: In presidential elections, the sole candidate, Vice President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi, wins 99.8% of the vote. Turnout is 65%. He is sworn in on February 25.

22


Emerson
Australia: Kevin Rudd resigns as foreign minister. Trade Minister Craig Emerson takes over the portfolio.
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Former chairman of the Executive Council (1969-74) Dragutin Kosovac dies.

23

Brazil: Former governor of Paraná (1973) João Mansur dies.
Ghana: Parliament approves William Kwasi Aboah as interior minister.

24

Haiti: Prime Minister Garry Conille resigns.
Nigeria: The Supreme Court sacks the governor of Kebbi, Usman Saidu Nasamu Dakingari. The speaker of the state's House of Assembly, Aminu Musa Habib Jega, is sworn in as acting governor.

25

Nigeria: In gubernatorial elections in Cross River, Liyel Imoke (People's Democratic Party) wins 92.1% of the vote and Usani Usani (Action Congress of Nigeria) 6.3%. Turnout is 40.1%. Imoke is sworn in on February 28.
Russia: President Dmitry Medvedev nominates incumbent Sholban Kara-ool as chairman of the government of Tuva.

26

Senegal: In presidential elections, incumbent Abdoulaye Wade wins 34.8% of the vote, Macky Sall 26.6%, and Moustapha Niasse 13.2%. Turnout is 51.6%. A runoff is to be held by March 25.
Switzerland: Former president of the Council of State of Fribourg (1982, 1989) Hans Bächler dies.

27

Brazil: Former governor of Amapá (1956-58) Amílcar da Silva Pereira dies.
Papua New Guinea: Prime Minister Peter O'Neill relieves Finance Minister Don Polye from his duties and keeps the finance portfolio for himself.

28


Miklushevsky
Russia: The governor of Primorsky kray, Sergey Darkin, resigns and Vladimir Miklushevsky is appointed acting governor.
Ukraine: Yuriy Kolobov is appointed finance minister.

29

French Southern and Antarctic Lands: Pascal Bolot is named administrator-superior.